


Journey of Life

by Blue_Night



Category: Football RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Archaeology, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Fate & Destiny, Football, Former Lives, Home, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Roman excavations, Starting Anew, a little bit of magic, eternal love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-06-19 15:17:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15512673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night
Summary: Lukasz gets the chance to start a new life and perhaps even find a place that actually feels like a real home when he joins a large and important excavation in Trier. Will he also find his one true love there, perhaps with a little help of a special small orange dragon that might be more than only a cute plushy?





	1. A new Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mariothellama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/gifts).



> My dearest mariothellama,
> 
> this is just a silly fic to celebrate the big change in your life. I mused about the right places and setting for a rather long time, I hope that you will like it. I'm not sure how many chapters it will have, maybe only 3 or 4, maybe more, depending on what the boys want. I should actually update my other fics, but I really wanted to write this for you, my dear friend. <33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lukasz has found a nice flat in Trier and is making himself comfortable in his new home when he finds something special on one of his bookshelves...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,
> 
> I'm sorry but answering to your wonderful comment on 'TTCL' has to wait until tomorrow. I really wanted to post this for you tonight, and I came home rather late after work as I had some important errands to run as you know! ;-)

“It's rather small, but it's at least cheap enough, and it really looks invitingly and friendlily.” Lukasz mused aloud as he looked around in the small but bright flat he'd just rented.

The tall archaeologist with the blond hair had already given up hope that he would get the job he had applied to when he had gotten the call, and then everything had gone breathtakingly fast. Lukasz was supposed to start his new job within little more than six weeks, finding a place to stay and saying goodbye to his old life before he even knew what was happening to him.

The Polish archaeologist could have stayed in a hotel for the time being – archaeologist hardly ever stayed at one place for longer than a couple of months – but he felt more comfortable having his own space and shelter, as small as it would be. Plus, he really hoped that he could stay in Trier for longer and perhaps even find a real home here. There were so many archaeological sites that still weren't completely discovered and cataloged, so many ancient Roman places to find, and Lukasz had fallen in love with the city right at first sight, strolling through the streets with the overwhelming feeling of coming home deep in his heart. He was tired of the feeling that he didn't really belong anywhere, and he was tired of regretting all the missed chances and the worries about what the future would bring.

Finding a flat that was affordable and also furnished with the most important things like a kitchen and wardrobes for his manageable belongings had been a little bit tricky as he was still living in Mainz and had to travel to Trier for the appointments with the landlords of the available flats.

Mainz was the city where he had been working over the last years, and it was actually an old and beautiful city with many important ancient places to explore, but it was like always, there was never enough money for excavations and such things. People were more interested in new buildings for expensive apartments and offices instead of learning more about their ancestors and saving the ruins and things they had left, and Lukasz had resigned himself to the fate of having to work in a museum and teach disinterested students something about Roman and Teuton culture for the next years - just when life had offered him the chance of doing what he was burning for so unexpectedly.

Lukasz thought that he must have made an impression on his new landlord, because the small woman with the kind eyes, the ageless features and brown hair had offered him the flat without wanting to check the other interests when he had showed up on her threshold with the stroke of the gong.

“You can move here at any time you want to, Mr. Piszczek,” she said with a smile, “and please call me Mathilda, no one calls me by my surname.”

Lukasz returned the smile. “Only if you call me Lukasz,” he agreed, earning another genuine smile and a gentle pat on his arm. “It'll be my pleasure, Lukasz. Here's the key, just call if you'll need something. You will surely want to check your new home without being watched.” With that she left him alone to go back to her own flat in the basement of the house, and Lukasz was alone with his thoughts and his hammering heart, stepping to the large window to take a look over the city beneath him.

“Looks like you have finally found a place where you will feel at home, Piszczu,” he murmured to himself, carefully pinching himself to make sure that he wasn't only dreaming.

 

***

 

“I cannot thank you enough for your help,” Lukasz said two weeks later when his two former colleagues put the last box onto the floor before the kitchen cupboards. Erik and Christopher also were close friends to him, and Lukasz would miss them dearly because they were about to leave their old home for their new job as well. They would move to England for a year, going to Huddersfield for another excavation, and Lukasz still remembered how excited Erik had been when he had told him about this chance. Christopher and Erik had been offered the post of the assistants of the professor who was responsible for the excavation, and Lukasz had been happy for them and hoped that this job would earn them the reputation they needed to boost their career.

He was happy for his friends and wished them all the best, but they wouldn't see each for a rather long time, and Lukasz was a little bit sad about that. Erik saw the look on his face and embraced him tightly to console him. “You will visit us in Huddersfield, Piszczu! And we will come to visit you too. It's not that far away, the flight doesn't take too long. Maybe there will be the chance for us to come to Trier one day as well. Or we will all go to Cologne, there are so many Roman findspots that it will take the next hundred years at least to discover all of them.”

Lukasz hugged his friends back. “You're right with that. But the same goes for Trier, I guess. Not even half of the Roman ruins are explored thoroughly, and I would love to do that together with you some day, but England is calling you, and I know that you will have a great time there. Prove to all those idiots that you're the best and make them regret that they didn't want you. And thank you so much for your help, my friends, I would have been lost without you. I wish you a great time in Yorkshire.”

“You're so welcome, and we wish you the same. We have a good feeling that Trier is the right place for you, Piszczu, and your new flat is as charming as your landlord,” Erik and Christopher said, and Lukasz watched them leave with a smile and a furtive tear in his eyes, hoping that they would be as happy in their new home as he already was in his.

 

***

 

The next days were quite busy, going by with unpacking the boxes, running errands, visiting offices and Lukasz making himself comfortable in his new flat, his mind spinning from all the things he had to think about.

He had cooked himself a simple meal and was searching for a book on the bookshelves that belonged to the flat when something caught his attention at the end of the week. He hadn't paid much attention to the shelves when he had put his books there, and he frowned when he pulled the orange thing out of its hiding place in the corner behind the book he wanted to read.

It was a small plushy, a plushy dragon to be precise, orange with red wings and crests in the same color, and with a yellow belly that matched perfectly with the orange and the red. “Oh, what are you doing here, small dragon?” Lukasz asked. “Mathilda must have forgotten you when she brought the flat in order. Or maybe the former tenant has left you there?”

The dragon looked meaningfully at him, but it was probably only the fading daylight that was throwing odd shadows over the small plushy face. It couldn't be that orange plushy dragons could wink with their eyes, could it?

“I have to ask Mathilda about you, small dragon,” Lukasz said, taking his new friend to go downstairs and ask his landlord if she was missing one of her companions. Mathilda had several plushies sitting on one of her shelves, but Lukasz wasn't sure whether or not the dragon had been among them.

“Lukasz, come in! How can I help you?” Mathilda asked when she opened the door, and Lukasz lifted the plushy to show it to her. He didn't really want to say goodbye to his new friend, but maybe her last lodger had had a child that was crying over the loss of a deeply missed friend.

“I've just found this small dragon on one of the bookshelves. You don't happen to know who it belongs to?”

“She.”

“Pardon me?” Lukasz frowned in confusion.

Mathilda ushered him in, pressing him down on one of her kitchen chairs and putting a huge cup with steaming tea in front of him. “It's clear to see that your new friend is a dragoness, isn't it?” she asked as if talking about plushy dragons were the most natural thing in the world, and Lukasz took a closer look at the small dragon in his hand. “Hmm, now that you're saying it, I think that you're right, Mathilda. She really looks like a dragoness. So it is yours?” he reached out reluctantly to give Mathilda back what was hers.

Mathilda shook her head. “Ah, no, this small orange dragoness doesn't belong to me. She must have waited for you, Lukasz. She was sitting on your shelf, after all, not mine.”

Lukasz burnt his tongue on the tea with a yelp. Mathilda patted his back when he started to cough, looking innocent and curious. “Why are you so surprised about my words, Lukasz?”

“It's... she's only a plushy!” Lukasz coughed, and Mathilda raised one of her eyebrows. “Really? Why were you looking so sad then when you thought that I would take her away from you?”

“Uhm, I don't know.” Lukasz regarded the dragon sitting on the table. She peered up at him, and Lukasz could have sworn that she winked at him with her right eye again. “Because she's cute.”

A sudden gust of wind blew through the kitchen, even though the window was closed, and it actually sounded like the displeased hiss of a dragon.

“Tell a mighty dragoness that she's cute,” Mathilda stated dryly with a shake of her head, leaning back in her chair. “You'll have to find a name for her.”

Lukasz stared at the dragon. “I apologize for having called you cute, my lady. I didn't mean it as an offense,” he said, feeling ridiculous the way he was talking to a plushy dragon as if the toy could actually understand him. But the warm breeze blowing through Mathilda's kitchen now, grazing his face like a gentle caress, was soft and sounded like a friendly whisper this time, making him think that the small dragon could indeed understand him in some strange ways.

“Much better,” Mathilda praised him. “I think she likes you.”

“I hope so,” Lukasz murmured, taking his new friend to go back to his flat when he'd drunken his tea. His supper would be cold by now, but Lukasz didn't care, feeling much less lonely than he'd felt only an hour ago.

 

***

 

“What about Fechtar?” Christopher said when Lukasz Skyped with his friends the next day, looking over Erik's shoulder to smile at him. Lukasz had mused about a good name for his new friend for the rest of the evening, but nothing had sounded right.

“Fechtar?” he asked back, tasting the name on his tongue. Christopher used the opportunity to place a kiss on Erik's rosy cheek as he leaned forward to take a better look at the small dragon sitting on Lukasz' keyboard. Lukasz couldn't help but think that she looked pretty smug and pleased, obviously liking the name his friend had chosen for her.

“Our boss Professor James McBride is Scotsman. He told us a lot about Scotland, the people and their language. He invited us to spend a long weekend in his castle next month, he's a good and passionate rider, and his favorite stallion answers to the name Fechtar. Fechtar is Scottish and means 'fighter', it would be a good name for a dragon as well, don't you think so?”

Lukasz regarded the plushy thoughtfully, and the small dragon seemed to preen, but it was probably only the sunlight shining onto her orange plushy fur. Erik chuckled. “Look at our friend Piszczu – having fallen in love with a cute plushy,” he said, earning a dig in his ribs from his boyfriend with his teasing.

“Don't tease him, and don't call Fechtar cute,” Christopher chided him, and Lukasz flinched when his kitchen door banged shut behind him with a loud noise. Erik flinched too, craning his neck to see more of Lukasz' flat. “You should close the windows, there is a storm coming,” he said.

Lukasz grimaced. “The windows _are_ closed. Fechtar doesn't like it when someone calls her cute.”

Erik swallowed. “I see. I'm sorry then, Lady Dragoness. I've meant it as a compliment.”

Lukasz stroked the crests on Fechtar's head. “She'll forgive you this time,” he grinned, not surprised when Fechtar 'nodded' her head. It was only a tiny movement under his fingers, but still.

“I'm relieved to hear that. So Christopher has found the perfect name for your friend, strong and proud like dragons are. How are you doing in Trier, Piszczu?” he changed the topic, and Lukasz smiled at him, telling his friends how happy he was and that he was really looking forward to his new job and to exploring his new home together with a small orange dragon that was actually a mighty dragoness.


	2. The Old Tavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lukasz makes himself comfortable in his new home, exploring the city together with his Small Dragon. The evening before he has to start working, he goes to the pub Mathilda has recommended to him to have a cool beer and enjoy his last day off...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,
> 
> The thought of a cool drink was what kept me upright and going on in my hot shop today. It was apparently the same for Lukasz, even more when he realized why Mathilda had recommended this special pub to him...  
> I really hope that you'll like the new chapter of your special move story! :-)

Lukasz spent the last few days before he had to start working with exploring Trier and visiting the ancient ruins that were scattered all over the whole city, Fechtar always placed safely in the brown leather bag where he kept a small notebook and a pen for his notes and his drawings. He smiled when he saw the tourists wandering around between the proud ruins of the _Imperial Thermal Baths_ , feeling proud that he belonged to this beautiful city now instead of just visiting it for a few days, allowed to explore the remnants of the Roman culture in a way no tourist would ever be able to do when he would finally start to work.

If he strained his ears, then he could imagine that he heard Fechtar snickering very pleased in her hiding place, and sometimes, when no one else was within earshot, he took her out of his bag and explained the things to her he'd just discovered with his sharp and trained archaeologist eyes. Fechtar listened to his monologues with utter patience, and Lukasz thanked her for her interest and promised her to tell her everything about his work.

He spent one or two evenings with Mathilda, enjoying her cooking skills and asking her about Trier. Lukasz was a skilled cook himself, but he didn't really like to eat his meals alone, and Mathilda's pancakes were simply the best. Fechtar seemed to think much the same, because there was a tiny spot on her snout that could only be cream, and Lukasz would have sworn an oath that he had been very careful not to dip her into the bowl with the cream when he had put her down beside his plate. Mathilda just smiled and shrugged her shoulders when he looked at her in confusion.

“I'm pretty sure that dragons prefer pancakes over meat. They only bite the bad guys. She can't have eaten much, there are enough pancakes left for us, don't worry.”

Lukasz muttered something under his breath, eyeing his small dragoness suspiciously. Fechtar peered innocently at him, and he sighed and shook his head. “Okay then. But don't complain if I have to give you a bath later!”

Fechtar looked rather displeased at the prospect of being bathed, but Lukasz ignored her, helping himself to another pancake with cream and berries. Mathilda leaned back in her chair, regarding her new tenant thoughtfully. “There is a nice pub around the corner, they also have a beer garden. You should visit it one day, Lukasz,” she said with a strange undertone in her voice. Maybe Lukasz was just imaging things like he was most likely doing it when it came to Fechtar, but Mathilda's words made him curious.

“A pub sounds nice,” he agreed, and the next evening, he went there to celebrate that his new job would start the next day with a cool beer. It was still hot outside even at this time of the day, and Lukasz decided to sit at the bar in the cool taproom instead of searching for a place under one of the few sunshades in the beer garden. He really didn't want to sit in the hot sun and get burnt, getting a bad headache from the noise the large group of tourists was making.

Fechtar peered out of his bag when he sat down on one of the bar stools, and Lukasz looked around curiously as he waited for the barkeeper to come to him and get his order. The pub was furnished in the style of an old Roman tavern, very appropriate for a city with so many Roman remnants. Only few people had chosen to sit in the taproom, and Lukasz thought that they were most likely regular customers that came here often after work. The barkeeper was busied with the orders the two waitresses coming from the beer garden shouted in his direction, and Lukasz let his gaze wander around while he waited, thinking that had more time than the impatient tourists waiting for their German beer.

The name of the pub suited it perfectly: _'The Old Tavern'_ , and Lukasz was sure that he would come here on a regular basis in the future as well.

“What do you want?” a dark and a little bit grumpy voice said next to his ear, and Lukasz flinched and turned his head. The barkeeper tapped with his fingers onto the top of his bar, and Lukasz realized that he must have asked him about his order at least twice. “Uhm, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. The music is rather loud.”

“People choosing to sit at the bar come here to have a drink, not to talk,” the barkeeper countered, raising a questioning and impatient eyebrow at Lukasz. “I can come back later when you have finally decided what you want.”

Lukasz didn't let himself be bothered by the grumpy behavior, smiling at the other man. He had blond hair, a little bit darker than his own hair-color, and handsome male features that were visible despite the rather unfriendly expression. He was shorter than Lukasz, and his shoulders and upper arms were broadly built, the white t-shirt accentuating the play of worked-out muscles when he moved. Not that this should be of any concern to Lukasz, but he couldn't help but notice how attractive the other man was – next to the important fact that he was obviously Lukasz' compatriot. Lukasz had an eye for such things, even though the man's German was perfect. There was only the hint of an accent, hardly detectable because of the music.

His eye-color was hard to tell because the taproom was rather dark and gloomy, but Lukasz thought that it must be blue or gray-blue, probably depending on his mood and the lights. A short and well-trimmed beard covered his jawline and his chin, and Lukasz' fingers itched with the sudden urge to reach out and find out whether the dark-blond whiskers were as soft as they looked like. They must be about the same age, and Lukasz felt drawn to him like he had never felt drawn to anybody in his entire life so far.

His feelings confused him, and he got the impression that the barkeeper must feel this strange connection between them as well, because he took a step back with an irritated look in his eyes. “Your order?” he repeated when Lukasz didn't say anything and just kept staring at him as if he'd never seen a barkeeper before, and Lukasz blinked to clear his mind.

“Wheat beer,” he said, blinking again. “And vodka if you have a good one.”

The barkeeper narrowed his eyes but just nodded, stalking over to the other end of the bar to get his drinks. A soft movement at his side made Lukasz look down at his bag, and he wasn't surprised when he found Fechtar gazing up at him. He was sure that he had put her deep into his bag, but her head was visible now, her snout just above the edging of the brown leather.

“He's quite grumpy, isn't he?” Lukasz murmured, “I'm not sure, but I think that I must already have seen him once. I just can't remember when it was.” Fechtar seemed to move her snout, but it could be the fading daylight throwing shadows over the bar where Lukasz was sitting on one of the stools.

“Your order.” The barkeeper put two glasses in front of him, and Lukasz pursed his lips, holding the other man's gaze when he lifted the glass with the vodka to his mouth. The smaller one watched him with an impassive face when Lukasz swallowed the clear liquid down without blinking. It was not the real good stuff and cut with water above all things, just like Lukasz had expected.

“Is that all you have to offer?” he asked mockingly when he put the empty glass down again, and the barkeeper lifted one eyebrow again. “No, but I don't want to be responsible when you're trying to find your way back to your hotel later on. The heat will only make things worse.”

“I see. What makes you think that I'm a tourist?” Lukasz asked curiously, feeling more intrigued than offended. Of course he wouldn't pass as a real Trierer citizen who lived here for all of his life, but Lukasz didn't think that he looked like a tourist either.

The barkeeper hesitated, jerking his head at Lukasz' bag. “I've never seen you before, and there are only few citizens finding their way here, most of the customers are tourists. They come here mostly because of the name. Apart from that, you bought this plushy – probably to have a gift for your son or your daughter when you're going back home,” he mumbled, sounding actually sheepish, but he continued to tell Lukasz his judgment nonetheless, probably because his natural defiance and stubbornness made him do that.

“Tourists do that all of the time. You look like someone who came here with their wife to spend a weekend in Trier, so you can say that you have climbed the _Porta Nigra_ and have seen everything. That's of course easy when you get driven around in one of the sightseeing buses instead of using your own two feet for exploring the city afoot. You thought it to be nice to spend the evening in a pub after your 'straining' day, but she didn't want to come with you when you said that you wanted to have a drink or two because of the heat. You found the plushy on your way here, remembering that you had promised to look for a present, and _The Old Tavern_ sounded like a good place to get drunk – just like the _'good old Romans'_ did when they came here.”

Lukasz burst out with laughter, throwing his head back with the waves of laughter shaking him. The barkeeper stared at him, ignoring the waitresses trying to catch his attention. His eyes were glowing darkly when Lukasz wiped his eyes and peered at him through the tears of laughter. “This tavern is not old enough that the _'good old Romans'_ could have gotten drunk here. I must admit that it's a good imitation, but the house is not two thousand years old, and it is also not Roman style, but must have been built much later, somewhere during the Middle Ages. I would have to check it more closely to tell you the exact time, I didn't really pay attention to the building when I came here because I just wanted a cool beer. Your experiences with tourists must truly be awful then. Mathilda should have warned me, but I guess that she wanted me to meet you without knowing about you beforehand,” he said still chuckling, and the barkeeper's eyes went wide.

“You know Mathilda?!” he asked, his demeanor changing within the blink of an eye from grumpy to astonished and friendly, and Lukasz grinned at him, changing into Polish when he reached over the bar to offer his hand to his new friend. “I'm her new tenant, and I will start my new job tomorrow. I'm an archaeologist and my name is Lukasz. My small friend here is Fechtar. I found her sitting on one of my shelves when I moved into Mathilda's flat, and she has become a faithful companion, accompanying me when I have to run errands and listening to my monologues about Roman found pieces and ruins much more patiently than humans normally do. So it's just me and her, no wife, no children." Lukasz probably shouldn't, but he really felt the need to make clear that he wasn't in a relationship with anyone. To distract himself from his strange thoughts, he cleared his throat and jerked his head at his empty glass. "By the way, have you ever seen a Pole getting drunk from one vodka? I haven't, so what do you think? Am I worthy enough to get the real good stuff now?”

“Huhm, yes, of course. I thought that you could be a compatriot, but I wasn't sure, your German is as good as mine. Pleased to meet you, Lukasz. You too of course, Fechtar.” The barkeeper gazed down at the small plushy as if it was natural to talk to a small plushy dragon as if it was a living being. But if he knew Mathilda and was friends with her, then he probably was used to such things, because Mathilda talked to her plushies all of the time, and Lukasz had started to greet her companions when he visited her as well. His new acquaintance couldn't know that he'd just won Lukasz' friendship with his willingness to talk to his dragoness, and Lukasz wouldn't tell him that, at least not now. The other man's handshake was warm and firm, and Lukasz' heart made a strange flip when their hands touched for the first time. “The pleasure is all mine – ours,” he gave back, his voice a little rougher than usual, and he let go of the other man's hand only reluctantly.

The barkeeper rolled his eyes when the waitress shouted at him again. “I'm busy, Sabine, your tourists won't die of thirst that quickly!” He focused his attention back on Lukasz, offering him a brief but genuine smile. “I'm Jakub – Kuba for my friends. Mathilda's friends are always welcome here. I'm sorry, but I had a couple of rough days, and some of the tourists gave us some serious trouble yesterday. They never know when to stop, and they always get drunk quickly, even more now because of the heat.”

“It's okay, Kuba, I can imagine. I really don't want having to do your job, I rather work with my beautiful found pieces. They never make any trouble, only those stupid idiots who don't know how to treat the remnants of our ancestors the right way.”

“So you're really an archaeologist? Sounds interesting but like hard work,” Kuba said, balancing on his toes to take a bottle from the shelf over the bar. His white tee slipped out of his washed-out jeans, and Lukasz found himself staring at the smooth pale skin that was on display right before his eyes all of a sudden. His throat felt dry, and he took a large gulp from his wheat beer.

“It is both – interesting and hard work. But I love my job, I wouldn't want to do anything else. There is a large excavation where they found the temple precincts of the Roman-Treverian God _Lenus Mars_. They needed another archaeologist whose specialist field is the Roman history in old Germania, so here I am,” Lukasz said, and Kuba cocked his head to the side. “Uhu, you're a PhD then or what? Do I have to call you Dr. Lukasz?”

Lukasz chuckled. “No, you don't. Piszczu will do just fine, that's how my friends call me.” He really wanted to talk to Kuba, but his new acquaintance had a job to do, and so he only said: “I don't want to get you into trouble. Not that you'll get fired because you neglected your duties.”

“Don't worry about that, I'll be fine.” Kuba filled Lukasz' glass again, this time with the real good stuff, but he went to get the drinks for the tourist group the older waitress had ordered fifteen minutes ago. She shot Lukasz angry glances, but he ignored her, too happy that he had followed Mathilda's advice and gone to _The Old Tavern_ today. He downed the vodka with a sound of contentment because it was his favorite brand, running down his throat smoothly and just with the right burn. He looked down at his bag for a moment, stroking over Fechtar's head with his finger.

“What do you think about Kuba, Fechtar? Have we made a new friend?” There was a tiny motion under his finger, and a stupid grin spread out all over Lukasz' face. “Yeah, I think so too, Small Dragon, I think we have found a real friend here,” he whispered at her, going back to sipping from his beer and watching Kuba work.

His life in Trier had started so much better than he'd hoped for, and Lukasz allowed himself to believe that this time, everything would be fine in the end.


	3. New Colleagues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lukasz finally meets his new boss and one of his co-workers - who is someone he already knows quite well...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,  
> the countdown is already ticking, not long before your big adventure will start. :-) Therefore I wanted to write another chapter to put you into the right mood for your new start!  
> There are some things in this chapter that might be important later on, and there actually existed a Roman forest warden's office in the Pfälzer Wald nearby where our beautiful Erik grew up. <33 My dear Small Dragon, I hope that you'll be okay with the nickname Kuba chose for you! :-)

Lukasz was dreaming.

It was a weird and exciting dream at the same time, and he knew that he was dreaming – which was probably the weirdest thing about his dream. It was as if he was watching himself from outside his body as he moved and talked in his dream, and everything happening felt real and more like a memory than just a dream.

Lukasz was wearing a Roman armor in his dream, the hackle giving his rank as a centurion away with its red color. He was standing in the middle of a large circle, probably a training ground, giving orders to other men dressed like Romans as they practiced with wooden swords. Lukasz couldn't see the other men's faces, and he couldn't understand what his dream-self was saying, but he was able to decipher the language as Latin in his dream. The air flickered and then he was suddenly riding through a thick forest on the back of a white Arab – Lukasz was astonished that he recognized the race of his mount even though such things didn't belong to his skills – and he felt restless and worried, turning his head several times as though he feared that somebody was following him – someone who wanted to see him dead.

The scenery changed again before he could find out more about his mysterious pursuer, and now he was sitting on the straw-covered ground of a long-house, carving a small wooden object as he waited for his unknown host to come back to him. Lukasz watching him doing that opened his mouth in surprise when he saw what his dream-counterpart was carving: a small wooden dragon with wings and crests on its head. He couldn't make any sound though, and the Roman version of him didn't look up but continued to carve the small dragon that looked exactly like the small plushy dragon sitting on Lukasz' bedside table every night when Lukasz got to bed.

The creaking sound of a door made dream-Lukasz turn his head at the newcomer, but the real Lukasz couldn't see the other man when his dream-self started to speak, he only knew that it had to be another man. His dream-self spoke quietly and urgently, and the air in the long-house was filled with tension and emotions. The other Lukasz clenched his hand around the wooden dragon and stepped forward when loud noise was audible outside all of a sudden. Lukasz watched himself opening his mouth to a scream, but no sound came out, and the air flickered again as everything went pitch-black.

 

***

 

He woke up from his vivid dream with a start and a gasp, sitting upright in his bed and staring into the gloom of his small bedroom, his eyes searching instinctively for Fechtar. She gazed up at him with a bemused expression, and Lukasz reached out to stroke her furry head. “What a weird dream that was, Small Dragon,” he murmured, “I must be more nervous about today than I thought.”

Fechtar cocked her head to the side, but it was probably only the early daylight falling through the halfway opened curtains. Lukasz smiled at her. “Your wooden self was as beautiful and dragon-like as you are, Fechtar, I recognized you right away. Both my dream-self and I seem to have a thing for dragons.”

Fechtar preened her orange fur, and Lukasz chuckled and got up to stroll over to the other room that was kitchen and living room at once, bending over the sink to gulp some water down right from the water faucet. The cool liquid calmed him down, but Lukasz decided to re-read the notes he'd gotten about his new job instead of going back to bed. He wouldn't be able to sleep again anyway, and he really wanted to be prepared for his first day at work.

Only ten minutes later, the coffee machine was making slurping and burping sounds as the hot dark brew dropped into the glass pot, and Lukasz made himself comfortable with a large bowl with cereals and fresh fruits, taking the papers to read them again while he chewed on his early breakfast, grimly ignoring Fechtar's pleading glances at his bowl from where she was sitting on the other side of the table.

 

***

 

Lukasz was standing before the gate forty minutes too early, pacing up and down before the fence with nervous steps. He'd given the security man his working license that allowed him access to the excavation, because the warden had shot him mistrustful glances at first, and Lukasz hadn't wanted to risk to be taken for a nosy tourist or even worse a robber. The guard didn't look as grumpy as Kuba had looked at first the previous evening, but he didn't smile either, and he had refused to open the gate for him before Dr. Lewandowski would arrive.

Lukasz had never met the famous Dr. Lewandowski, only seen pictures of him in several professional journals, and they had talked with each other only via mails and two or three phone calls. But he had heard some stories about his new boss from former colleagues who didn't like him, calling him arrogant and an impostor. Lukasz normally didn't pay attention to such stories, but he couldn't help but worry whether or not he would get along with his compatriot – the second compatriot next to Kuba here in Trier. Robert Lewandowski had insisted on another excavation at the temple area when everyone else had said that there was nothing worthy to be found anymore, and he had been right as there had been more ruins hidden under the roots of the trees now growing there. Lukasz had to thank the famous archaeologist for his stubbornness, because without it, he would never have gotten this chance.

Laughter and firm footsteps on the path that led to the excavation from the parking area made him stop in his pacing and turn his head, and Lukasz unconsciously pushed his hand into his leather bag to touch Fechtar as he watched his new superior walking in his direction together with another man. His eyes widened, and Lukasz felt his mouth drop open when he recognized the blond walking beside Dr. Lewandowski – very close beside him. The younger man said something he didn't understand before accelerating his steps until he was almost running towards Lukasz.

“Piszczu! It's been ages! I'm so glad that you accepted Robert's offer!” Marco Reus pulled Lukasz into a tight embrace before he knew what was happening to him, and Lukasz slowly wrapped his arms around Marco's slim figure as well, very aware of the dark-haired archaeologist watching them with slightly narrowed eyes, his gaze warning Lukasz not to make a move on what Dr. Lewandowski obviously considered as his and his alone.

Not that his boss needed to worry here, he and Marco had always been close friends, but never more than that. Lukasz hadn't had any clue that he would meet Marco here, because Marco's name hadn't been on the list with his new colleagues.

“Marco! What a lovely surprise!” Lukasz stammered when he'd finally gotten over his surprise. He had the feeling as if Fechtar was bouncing up and down in his bag, but it could be Marco still embracing him that moved the bag. “I didn't know that I would meet you here!”

Marco chuckled, pushing Lukasz away to regard him but keeping his upper arms in a tight grip. “I didn't know that myself. I was injured for a rather long time after an accident during the last excavation, and it wasn't foreseeable when I would be able to return to work. That's why I told Lewy about you when Erik mentioned that you were searching for a new job. I was getting on his nerves until he agreed to hire you without even talking to you.”

Lukasz flinched, and he shot Dr. Lewandowski a quick glance. The dark-haired archaeologist had narrowed his eyes even more at Erik's name, so he must know about Erik and Marco's past, but his face was controlled and unreadable as he regarded his new assistant hugging his – boyfriend? - in front of the gate. The security man had disappeared on the other side to Lukasz' utter relief, and he stepped back from Marco to show his new boss that he wasn't a threat at all. Kuba's handsome features flashed before his mind's eye for a brief moment, and the pull in his bag became stronger.

“I see. I hope that I won't disappoint your faith in me,” he mumbled, and Marco's mischievous smile turned genuine. “You could never do that, Piszczu. You're one of the best. Of course I didn't get on his nerves.” He turned his head to wink at Lewandowski. “Lewy can be incredibly stubborn, and he never does anything he doesn't want to do. I just told him that you are the best, and he trusted my judgment and agreed with me when he read your works about Roman culture in good old Germany. Your dissertation impressed him pretty much. I must admit that I asked him not to mention my name because I wanted to surprise you when I would finally be able to work together with you again.” Marco waved at the other man still standing several meters away from them.

“Oh, come on, Lewy, don't be a jerk. You will love Piszczu just as much as I love him – he's like the brother I always wanted to have. It will be the same with the two of you. Besides, he's the best archaeologist in the world - next to you of course, my pouting darling.”

The petname finally made Lewandowski's sensitive lips twitch into a smile, and he came over to them to offer his hand to Lukasz. “Hello Lukasz, I'm pleased to finally meet you in person. Marco's friends are my friends as well, and he's right, the articles I've read about your explorations and your research have really made a lasting impression on me. Please call me Robert – or Lewy - like Marco prefers to do.”

Lukasz took the proffered hand to shake it, a huge relieved smile plastered all over his face. “Thank you, Robert. I must admit that it's the same for me. I couldn't believe my eyes when I got the mail with your offer. I'm for sure a big admirer of your work. I just would never have thought that Marco was the one recommending me to you. It's sad but we had lost contact over the last three years.”

After Marco's breakup with Erik, when everything had been such a terrible mess. It hadn't been anybody's fault, sometimes things simply didn't work out, and Lukasz had tried to put the pieces of Erik's broken heart together when Marco had left them to join an excavation in Augusta Vindelicorum – Augsburg. He must have met Robert there, falling in love with him, while Erik had learned how to smile again when a certain tall and brown-haired archaeologist had pulled the rug out from under him right at first sight.

Erik and Lukasz had worked together on an excavation in the Pfälzer Wald, examining a Roman forest warden's office together; and Christopher had been one of the archaeologists working together with them. He was specialized in the early medieval culture and architecture, and he had joined the rather small excavation to support them because the ancestors of the Pfälzer had often built their castles or villages over even older ruins and hamlets.

Marco clearing his throat pulled Lukasz out of his memories. “I know that I should have called you, Piszczu, but Erik needed you more back then, and I didn't want to make it harder for any of you. I thought that disappearing until he'd learned to live without me would be the best, and I didn't want you having to choose between him and me. He's happy now, isn't he?”

Lukasz returned his smile. “Yes, he is, Marco. He and Christopher are in Huddersfield now, Professor McBride's assistants. It's not their special field, but Professor McBride is known for his unusual choices when it comes to his workers. He wanted someone with a 'fresh' view on things, and Erik and Christopher convinced them with their passion for their profession as it would seem.”

“That's great to hear!” Marco nodded, looking at his boss and boyfriend. “What do you think about showing Lukasz around before the others will arrive? It's still enough time left.”

Robert Lewandowski sighed. “You know that you'll always get what you want from me, don't you, Marco?” he said with a shake of his head, briefly stroking Marco's hand with his fingers. Lukasz could feel his uncertainty, his talk with Marco about Erik must have thrown the handsome doctoral off, and Lukasz told himself that he had to be careful within the next days to prove to his new boss that he wasn't a threat to him at all when it came to Marco.

“I would appreciate that, thank you,” was all he said when both men looked at him, stroking Fechtar's head in his bag to calm himself down when he followed them through the gate to the large area where the excavation took place. This was the first day of his new job and hopefully also the first day of his new life with a real home where he could stay for longer than just a few years, and Lukasz wouldn't fuck this up, no way; and surely not because he'd given Robert Lewandowski any reason to be jealous of him. Marco was not the man he wanted, Lukasz thought, his mind wandering back to the previous evening and another pair of blue eyes.

Kuba's eyes were not of the same deep blue color as Robert's eyes were, but they were the most beautiful eyes Lukasz had ever looked into, and he was really looking forward to seeing Kuba again and maybe even getting to know him better.

 

***

 

“So your old and new colleague Marco is one of your best friends, and he's also the ex of one of your other two best friends Erik – who is together with your third best friend Christopher now,” Kuba outlined several hours later, putting a huge glass with cool wheat beer and a small one with Lukasz' favorite vodka on the counter before Lukasz had even be able to order another round. “And your new boss is the new boyfriend of your best friend Marco, who knows about your friendship with Marco's ex – which happens to be your other best friend. And you told your new boss all of this on your first day at your new work and within the first hour right after your first meeting, hmm. You're not doing things halfheartedly, do you, Piszczu?”

The blond archaeologist gratefully sipped from the beer to buy himself some more time. He rubbed his forehead, shrugging his shoulders in a helpless gesture. He didn't even know why he had told Kuba anything of what had happened on his first day, but he had started talking the minute Kuba had asked him how his first day at work had gone. They didn't really know each other so far, and the chances that Kuba would be disgusted that Lukasz had male friends living in a relationship together weren't that small after all, but Lukasz had really needed to talk to someone and clear his spinning mind. The barkeeper hadn't commented on the revelation of Lukasz' friends preferring their own gender though, he hadn't even flinched or blinked, and his voice was colored with dry amusement and friendly mockery instead of disgust and contempt.

“It's complicated,” Lukasz now groaned, his left hand wrapped around Fechtar sitting on the counter because he really needed something to hold on to. “And it wasn't me telling Robert all of this, it was Marco.”

“Marco who can praise himself now that he has finally confessed to his boyfriend, feeling relieved – while you're biting your nails because you fear that this Dr. Lewandowski will fire you right away again.”

Lukasz gazed indignantly at him. “I would never bite my nails!” he protested, and Kuba chuckled. “It was meant in the literal sense of the meaning to describe your state of mind,” he soothed him, looking pointedly at Lukasz' perfectly manicured nails. Lukasz had scrubbed the dirt off very carefully before he'd come to _The Old Tavern_ , as such things were important to him.

“Robert was actually very professional and polite today.” Lukasz defended Robert after downing the vodka, and Kuba quirked his eyebrow at him. “I have no reason to like your Dr. Lewandowski as long as he hasn't proved himself to me, Piszczu. Which he can only do by not firing you and treating you with friendliness and fairness, by the way. This will take him some time, and as long as he'll keep you in suspense, I'll keep on not liking him,” the barkeeper stated, wiping the counter with a wet cloth. There weren't as many tourists as there had been the previous day, Mondays were normally the days without much customers in _The Old Tavern_ as Kuba had informed him. The other man's unexpected admission let warmth spread out from where Lukasz' heart was suddenly beating faster, and he swallowed, feeling deeply touched.

“Thank you, Kuba,” he murmured, and the shorter Pole smiled briefly, cocking his head to the side as he winked at Fechtar. “What do you think, Small Lady? Will you promise me to keep an eye on this Dr. Lewandowski for me? Tell me if he doesn't treat our Piszczu the right way?”

Lukasz could have sworn that Fechtar was preening and growing with excitement that Kuba was talking to her like that, conspiring with her for Lukasz' sake. “I'm sure that she will do that, Kuba,” he croaked out, and the warm and gentle breeze grazing his flushed cheeks was answer enough for him.

Kuba nodded contentedly. “We have a deal then, Small Lady. I trust you to keep him safe when I'm not there to do that myself. Don't leave, I'm back in a minute.” He walked over to the couple that had sat down on one of the tables to ask them what they wanted to drink, and Lukasz took another sip from his beer, feeling consoled and much happier than he'd felt when he'd come here.

His first day at the excavation had been exciting and wonderful, but also straining and exhausting, and Lukasz had felt like walking on egg shells the entire time. It was clear that Robert hadn't known before today how close his new assistant and his boyfriend had once been, and Erik's name had hung over them like a big dark shadow the whole day long. Lukasz had been careful not to touch Marco even by accident to prove to Robert that he was no threat to him when it came to the man he loved so passionately, and he had been grateful when he'd left the excavation to drive home again.

Sitting here in _The Old Tavern_ , watching Kuba serving his customers while stroking Fechtar's fur was exactly what he needed, and Lukasz relaxed with a deep sigh, wondering how it could be that his life had become so complicated within only one day.


	4. Slow Convergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lukasz has started working, settling into a nice routine and slowly coming closer to his new boss Robert and his friend Kuba, the mysterious barkeeper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,  
> I hurried with the next chapter of your special story to celebrate the events of the last week. :-) I hope that you'll enjoy it!

Despite his worries that Robert would fire him because of his complicated friendship with Marco and Erik, everything went rather smoothly after their first awkward encounter, and Lukasz settled into a nice routine over the following days, starting to relax and feel at home more and more.

He was always the first one at work because he liked the early hours best, when he could work undisturbed and when it was still cool enough that he didn't risk contaminating the found pieces with his own sweat dropping down onto them from his face. Robert and Marco came shortly after him, long before the rest of their team would show up and start to work. Robert was always polite, treating him with respect and showing real interest in his opinion and suggestions, but Lukasz was still unsure and worked for longer than what was fixed in his contract.

He feared that Robert would consider him lazy and not passionate enough if he left the temple area before Robert and Marco did, and he really wanted to leave a good impression and show Robert that he was interested in making their working relationship work. He didn't really mind the extra work anyway, archaeology had always been his profession and his passion, and he was happier that he could finally do what he loved most in the world again than he could express in words. The excavation still held so many secrets, and he was giddy and eager to find them all.

In the evenings after work, he ran the needed errands and went to see Kuba in _'The Old Tavern'_ on two or three days at week, Fechtar always sitting on the counter top beside his glasses. Fechtar would watch them curiously while they talked about everything and nothing, and it wasn't lost on Lukasz that Kuba was careful not to talk about himself too much. The barkeeper was very interested in Lukasz' life and asked a lot of interested questions about his work and his experiences, but he was not very keen to share his own secrets with him, and Lukasz couldn't help but wonder why Kuba always closed up when Lukasz asked him about his friends or family.

Mathilda only smiled at him when he told her that Kuba was still a mystery to him after more than three weeks – whereas he had told the shorter Pole almost everything about himself that was important and worth sharing.

“Kuba needs a long time to learn and trust someone, he will tell you more about himself when the time is right, Lukasz, don't worry,” was all she said, putting another pancake on Lukasz' plate. Fechtar made puppy eyes at him from her side of the table, and Lukasz shook his head with a sigh but pushed his plate closer to her. “You're insatiable, Small Lady. Where do you keep all of the pancakes you're stealing from my plate? I know for sure that I wasn't the one taking such a huge bite from the last one! But you don't grow bigger, so it must be my imagination playing tricks on me that you're eating my pancakes.”

“She probably needs the extra calories for the fire she spits at the bad guys,” Mathilda mused, and Lukasz could have sworn that Fechtar nodded her plushy head at that. He eyed his dragoness mistrustfully, pulling his plate closer to himself again. This earned him an offended look from both Mathilda and Fechtar, and Lukasz instinctively ducked his head between his shoulders and coated a juicy raspberry with extra cream for his little dragoness to make up with her again.

He didn't visit Kuba on that evening, deciding that going to bed early would be a good idea after the long day at work. It had been incredibly hot and dry outside for weeks now, and Lukasz took a cool shower and snuggled close under his light blanket when the first shadows of the early night where reaching through the window. It took him some time to actually fall asleep, and when he finally did, another dream made him toss and turn on the mattress.

There was loud shouting and yelling, the noise of iron swords and shields clashing against each other. Lukasz saw a whirling bodies and swords, some of the warriors dressed like Roman legionaries, others more like Celts or Teutons, it was hard to tell as they moved to fast for him to be sure. The scenery changed before Lukasz could detect more though, and he was back in the long-house again, alone and carving the wooden version of Fechtar.

Light footsteps and the dark shadow of another person intruding his space made the dream-version of him look up, and Lukasz could see his other self smile, but the other one was still hidden in the shadows a black figure against the brighter entrance, and Lukasz woke up from his dream before the identity of the other one was revealed to him.

He lay motionless on the sweat-soaked sheets for a while, staring up at the dark ceiling with burning eyes. It was just half past three when he turned his head to gaze at the clock standing on his bedside table, too early to get up. Lukasz stared at Fechtar sitting beside the clock for moment or two before taking the book he was trying to read since he'd bought it when he had still lived in Mainz.

It was a rather poorly written novel, but it served its purpose because Lukasz felt his eyelids droop shut after three pages only, and this time he dreamed of Kuba's beautiful eyes instead of fighting Romans and Teutons, much to his relief and delight.

 

***

 

“Would you mind some company, Lukasz?”

Lukasz looked up from his lunch box, shading his eyes with his hand as he gazed at his boss. Robert was standing beside the bench where he had made himself comfortable to have a quick break and eat and drink something, and Lukasz smiled cautiously at him because he still felt nervous in the other archaeologist's presence. The other students and archaeologists had chosen to take their lunch in the large tent, but Lukasz found the tent too sticky and hot and had pulled one of the benches to a large tree that offered shelter from the burning sun much better than the tent.

“Of course not, please have a seat, Robert,” he said, moving to the side to make room for his boss. Robert sat down beside him wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. He left a small trace of sand on his smooth skin as he did so, but Lukasz guessed that he didn't look much better. It was hot and dirty everywhere, and they were all sweaty and sticky, but Lukasz wouldn't want to be anywhere else. He loved his job, and he never thought about his appearance or the appearance of his colleagues when they were removing the sand and dirt from the found pieces with utter patience.

“I would understand it if you preferred to be left alone. I wasn't exactly nice to you so far.”

Robert's words surprised Lukasz, and he was still cautious, but Robert's smile was genuine, and he looked as if he wanted to apologize to him for his reserved behavior.

“I understand you, Robert. It must have been a shock for you when you learned that Marco and I have been close friends for a long time and that I am still close to Marco's ex-boyfriend Erik,” he offered with a smile of his own, and Robert relaxed a little bit, staring down at his own lunch box in his hand.

“It was a shock. Not that you are close friends, but that Marco hadn't told me that you are so much more to him than just a former colleague. I get why he did that. He didn't want to influence me and risk that I would hire you just because I felt obliged to do that because of your friendship. And he was right with that of course. You're the best assistant I've ever had, and I'm really glad that he mentioned you to me, but I know that I wouldn't have done it because of your work and your exposés if I had known about your friendship.”

“Oh, uhm, thank you. You're the best chief archaeologist I've ever worked with too.” Lukasz stammered, because hearing Robert saying that he was the best assistant he'd ever had was too good to be true.

Robert chuckled. “You're welcome. And yeah, thank you too. I haven't been a good boss so far, but I'll do my best to change that in the future.”

“You were reserved, Robert, that's true. But you didn't know me after all, and you were always fair and willing to hear my side and listen to me. It was me freaking out about everything that made it harder than it would have been necessary for both of us, I think. We didn't know each other beforehand, and trust and friendship needs to be earned. I'm not someone wanting to become close friends with everyone I meet right away either. You're absolutely professional when it comes to work, Robert, I am amazed how you manage to do that. I don't think that a lot of people know that Marco and you are together. And those who do – like me – never think that you treat him any different from the rest of us.”

“Marco is as professional as I am when it comes to our jobs, that makes it easier. And as you're talking about friendship, I would be happy if you'd call me your friend one day, Lukasz.” Robert had colored a little, but he was looking Lukasz in the eyes, and he reached out with his hand now to offer it to him.

Lukasz took it, smiling at his boss. “I would be happy to be allowed to call you my friend, Robert.”

“Lewy is it then,” Robert said, still red all over his face, and Lukasz felt a soft pull where Fechtar was taking a nap in his pocket. “Only if you call me Piszczu now and then.”

“Not at work, but I'd be pleased to do that after work in private.”

They shook hands with solemn expressions on their faces, and Lukasz thought that he was truly a very lucky guy.

 

***

 

“So you're best friends now?” Kuba asked a couple of hours later when Lukasz told him everything about his heart-to-heart talk with Robert. He didn't look at Lukasz, busying himself with wiping the already sparkling counter top with a towel, but there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there before.

Lukasz' heart beat faster when he realized what Kuba's behavior meant. “You don't have to be jealous, Kuba. I hope that Robert and I will become real friends one day, and I'm happy and grateful that a start is finally made, but he will never take your place in my heart.”

Kuba hrumpfed at that, but Lukasz could see him blushing and the small pleased smile curling at his lips the other man was trying to hide from him. “I'm not jealous,” the bulky barkeeper growled to cover his feelings though, still avoiding Lukasz' gaze.

“You're not?” Lukasz couldn't help but feel disappointed, and his disappointment was showing in his voice, making Kuba sigh in defeat.

“Uhm, maybe a little bit. You were so excited that the great Robert Lewandowski was finally offering his gracious friendship to you all of a sudden. I fear that you won't visit me that often any longer, now that you have Marco and Robert to talk to – who understand your passion for your work so much better than I could ever do!”

“I knew that you were jealous!” Lukasz reached over the bar to put his hand on Kuba's shoulder. “You don't have to be, Kuba. Not of Robert, Marco or anybody else. You're special to me since I came here for the first time and you were still snapping at me. I will never stop visiting you, and your opinion truly matters to me – a lot.” He wasn't sure whether or not he'd perhaps gone too far, but Kuba relaxed and finally faced him, several emotions flickering over his face.

“You're special to me too, Piszczu. Very much,” he admitted hoarsely, placing his own hand over Lukasz' to squeeze it gently.

“It's important to me that Robert and I get along with each other, Kuba. He offered me a chance when I had already resigned myself to working in a museum for the next years, and my job here in Trier really means a lot to me – even more because I don't want to leave you and Mathilda again. And Marco is still dear to me and one of my best and longest friends. Robert apparently feared that Marco could still have feelings for Erik and come closer to him again because of me, and I understand that Marco's confession who I actually am came out of the blue. I want you to meet them one day, I'm sure that you will like them.”

Kuba didn't look convinced, gazing at Fechtar for approval. “Do you think the same, Small Lady? Are Marco and Robert likable and trustworthy?”

The soft breeze blowing through the taproom at his words seemed to be answer enough for the barkeeper, because he pursed his lips as he looked back at Lukasz. “Fair enough, then bring them here. But not at the weekend when all the tourists are storming _'The Old Tavern'_. I need to have my hands and my mind free to really suss them out. Next Monday perhaps?”

“I'll ask them if Monday would be okay with them. I fear that I told Marco a lot about you and _'The Old Tavern'_. He's already pretty curious and eager to get to know you,” Lukasz said, a huge grin spreading out on his features, and Kuba eyed him suspiciously. “Is that so? Why would you want to talk about a grumpy barkeeper when there are so many fascinating remnants you find every day to talk about instead?”

“You're not grumpy – not always at least, Jakub Blaszczykowski,” Lukasz chuckled, “and we're not finding fascinating remnants every day. I spent a lot of time in your tavern, so of course I talk a lot about you as well.”

Kuba rumbled something Lukasz wasn't sure that he wanted to know what it was, and he lifted his glass to his lips to hide his sudden embarrassment. He felt as if he'd crossed a line, and he could only hope that he hadn't offended his friend in any way.

The shorter man went to one of the tables to greet three newcomers, laughing with them as he asked them about their wishes. Lukasz absentmindedly stroked Fechtar's nose, uncertain what to do when Kuba came back to the bar again. He watched Kuba filling three glasses with dark beer, and he was about to stand up and say goodnight to the other man when Kuba turned his head to look at him.

“Tomorrow is my day off. Would you like to see me after work? There is something I want to show you, Piszczu.”


	5. An Unexpected Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuba wants to show Lukasz where he spends his free time, and Lukasz is excited to learn more about his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,
> 
> tomorrow is your big day, and I wanted you to have another chapter of your special story before you'd start your new task. The boys surprised me a bit with their plans, but I happily went with what they wanted me to write, especially including some new characters... The restaurant Kuba is mentioning at the end truly exists, I've been there myself, and the pizza is truly delicious, although not as delicious as the pizza we had yesterday together with you was... ;-)

Lukasz was quite nervous when he got himself ready for his date with Kuba the next day. He kept telling himself that it wasn't a real date as Kuba hadn't asked him out for dinner or something like that, but it didn't help at all, and his nervousness only got worse when he found himself standing before his wardrobe dressed only with a towel slung around his hips, his hair still damp from his quick shower and his skin shimmering rosy from the warm water and his thorough scrubbing to get rid of all the sand and dirt after a long working day.

His day had been exciting to say the least though, and during work he hadn't had time to think of his nervousness because of the truly outstanding discovery they had made.

Lukasz had made actually, together with Marco.

He couldn't wait to tell Kuba about their success, and he couldn't wait to see the fascinating barkeeper again, who was still such a mystery to him. A mystery Lukasz wanted to get to know better so badly.

The blond archaeologist sighed, worrying his lip as he regarded the contents of his wardrobe. He didn't want to overdue it because he didn't know what it was that Kuba wanted to show him, and he finally opted for a slim fitting jeans in a dark-blue color and a casual white dress shirt. It hugged his figure not too tightly to be uncomfortable when he moved, but it accentuated his well-trained upper body in an appealing way. Lukasz wasn't conceited, but he was doing a lot of exercises to keep his body in shape, and he couldn't come up with any reason why he should hide his body under misfitting clothes instead of showing its delights in an appealing but still decent way.

Especially when he would spend the evening with the man who fascinated him like no other man had ever done before.

Fechtar was sitting on the shelf in his small bath when Lukasz teased his hair into perfection after finally being dressed, observing him with attentive eyes. Lukasz smiled down at her after a last look into the mirror.

“What do you think, Small Lady? Will Kuba be pleased with my appearance?”

Fechtar at least did look pleased and approving, and Lukasz took her to carry her over to the nightstand. “I can't take you with me tonight, Small Lady, the pockets of my leather jacket are too small for you, and I don't want to carry a large bag, so I hope you don't mind keeping an eye of our flat instead. I promise you that I will tell you everything when I come home.” Lukasz stopped, biting down on his lip with a blush. “At least those parts of our evening that are suitable for a Small Dragon Lady to hear...” he added sheepishly, because one part of him hoped that there would be some things happening tonight that were not meant to tell them to a plushy dragon – at least not right away and in full details.

Fechtar gazed at him with a bemused expression on her plushy face, but she didn't seem to mind that she wouldn't accompany her human friend to his date with Kuba, and Lukasz stroked her head with a grateful smile. “Today has been a good day, Small Lady,” he said, “please cross your claws for me that the evening will turn out to be just as good. I really like him, you know?”

A soft breeze grazed his cheeks, and Lukasz swallowed and stroked over Fechtar's crests one last time. “Yes, I know that you like Kuba too. We both like him very much, don't we?”

The sound of the doorbell ringing very punctually startled him, and Lukasz took his jacket and headed for the door after a quick glance back at Fechtar. She seemed to wave at him, and Lukasz waved back, almost running down the stairs after closing the door behind himself because he really couldn't wait to see Kuba again and tell him the good news.

 

***

 

“Hello Piszczu.” Kuba waited before the front door of Mathilda's house, dressed like Lukasz in a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt, looking so handsome that Lukasz' knees suddenly felt like jelly when he caught sight of him.

“Hello Kuba. I'm sorry that I had to postpone our... hmm... evening, but I had to work longer today.” Lukasz had called Mathilda after their stunning discovery because he didn't even have Kuba's number, and his landlord and friend had promised to inform Kuba that it would take him an hour longer to get ready for the evening.

“Everything's fine, Piszczu, please don't be sorry. Mathilda called me in time and told me that you had to work longer. Your boss is keeping you quite busied, isn't he?” Kuba still wasn't willing to forgive Dr. Lewandowski that easily as it would seem, but Lukasz shook his head with a happy smile.

“Not, it wasn't his fault at all. We... uhm we found something interesting, and we had to secure the place where we've made another discovery today before we could leave the excavation. It was a bit tricky, and Robert didn't trust the students with that task but wanted to do that himself together with Marco's and my help. He and Marco were still there when I finally left. I volunteered to stay longer, but working by night and having to use bright spotlights then would draw unwanted attention to our excavation, and daylight is better to avoid damaging found pieces anyway. We don't know what we've found at this point, but it looks promising. It... it was me making the discovery...” Lukasz snapped his mouth shut, fearing that he was babbling about things Kuba didn't care about at all, but the shorter man smiled gently at him.

“Really? That's awesome! I'm happy for you, then, Lukasz. You really deserve being the one making an extraordinary discovery. Plus, I understand why your boss wouldn't want your students to secure the find-spot. We can have our date on another day if you want to go back, Piszczu,” Kuba offered, but Lukasz shook his head. “That's very kind of you, Kuba, but Robert and I decided not to arouse any suspicions until we know more. It is normal that he stays longer than the rest of us, and that Marco does the same because he's together with him – which isn't coming knowledge among all of our colleagues, but not a real secret either. There wasn't more we could have done after securing my discovery, so Robert told me to leave and enjoy my evening with you. I... I told him that you want to show me something tonight...”

It hadn't been lost on Lukasz that Kuba had called it 'date', and his heart was beating fast in his chest.

“Okay then, if you're really sure. My car is parked five minutes away from here, I want to take you to a place where I spend a lot of time, and we'll have to drive there.”

“I'm ready when you are, Kuba,” Lukasz said, his voice a bit hoarse, walking beside the other man with a stupid grin plastered all over his face. His day had really been great so far, and it looked as if his evening would even get better.

 

***

 

“We're there.” Kuba killed the engine, and Lukasz climbed out of the car with a curious glance. They had left the center of the city to drive to a district lying four or five kilometers southern of it, nestled between the river Moselle and the green mountains that bordered Trier on its west side.

A sandy path led from the parking lodge to a low-rise building that turned out to be the club house of a football club. 'FC Young Treverer' was flaunting over the entrance to the house in broad letters, and Lukasz stopped and let his eyes travel over the white building and the pitch that lay next to it. Everything looked neat and well cared for, and a smile appeared on Lukasz' face when his gaze fell upon the boys running over the pitch and shouting at each other.

They were caught up in a training match as it seemed, one half of the boys wearing orange bibs over their jerseys. Their trainer was a young man with black hair and handsome features as far as Lukasz could tell from the distance, giving orders from the sideline and gesturing vividly with his hands.

Lukasz turned his head when Kuba stepped beside him. “They seem to have fun,” he said with an apologetic smile. “I must admit that I don't know much about football, I've never paid attention to this kind of sports. My passion has always belonged to the science of archaeology from an early age on, and I focused on my studies while my friends were playing football in the streets or in the club of my hometown. Do you come here often?”

Kuba started off towards the small stands that belonged to the pitch. “As often as work allows me to come here,” he said, “I hope that you won't find it too boring having to watch their training together with me, but you were asking me what I'm doing in my free time and what is important to me, and I wanted to show you where I spend the weekends before working in _'The Old Tavern'_ rather than talk about it.”

“I feel honored, Kuba, thank you. I'd be happy and excited to learn more about football, I'm sure that it'll be anything but boring!” Lukasz assured Kuba when he saw the uncertainty showing in Kuba's blue eyes. He sat down beside his friend, listening carefully to his explanations while he watched the boys fighting for the ball. They might be twelve or thirteen perhaps, it was hard to tell, but all of them were burning for football, that was clear to see even for Lukasz who was a total newbie when it came to this special sport.

Jakub was telling him the most important rules while he watched the boys with careful eyes, and Lukasz realized with astonishment that the man sitting beside him must know a whole lot more about football than people only watching football as fans usually did. Kuba had a feeling for what the boys would do within the next seconds only someone who was a player themselves could have, and his blue eyes shone with a passion Lukasz had never seen shining in his eyes when it came to his work in _'The Old Tavern'_ , even though Kuba clearly liked his job in the pub.

“Have you once played football yourself, Kuba? As a hobby or something like that?” he finally dared to ask when the training match was over and the boys came running in their direction with flushed faces, followed a little bit slower by their trainer. “Sort of,” Kuba murmured, avoiding Lukasz' questioning glance as he gazed at the boys and their young trainer instead.

“Kuba, Kuba! Have you seen me shooting the winning goal?” One of the boys shouted, a pretty boy with tousled honey-blond hair and soft brown eyes. His eyes sparkled, and he climbed the stony stands to embrace Kuba without caring about his damp clothes. Kuba hugged him back without caring about the boy's sweaty jersey either, and Lukasz felt a lump in his throat all of a sudden when he saw his friend hugging the young boy.

“Of course I saw your goal, Hannes! You played great today. If you'll play that good on Saturday, then we'll win the match against the Konzer boys.”

“I'll do my best for you, Kuba!” the pretty boy with the name Hannes promised, and Kuba ruffled his hair before releasing him from his embrace. “I know, Hannes, you always do. Just like Max, Oscar and all the other boys.” Hannes eyed Lukasz from the side a little bit mistrustfully, but he didn't object when Kuba gestured to the club house with a smile. “I need to talk to Nuri, Hannes. Look, your friends are already waiting for you. I'll see you on Saturday before the match.”

Hannes nodded, even though he looked a little bit worried about Kuba wanting to talk to his trainer without him being around. “Of course, Kuba,” he mumbled, leaving them to run over to his friends, but he turned his head several times, shooting Lukasz more suspicious glances.

The trainer had reached them in the meantime, and Lukasz liked him right at first sight when Nuri offered him his hand. “You must be Mr. Piszczek. I'm Nuri Sahin, the trainer of these little rascals. Kuba told me that he would bring a friend with him today.”

“Ah, please call me Lukasz,” Lukasz said. Nuri's handshake was firm and he looked Lukasz in he eyes when he smiled back. “It'll be my pleasure, Lukasz. And please call me Nuri, I like that much better than Mr. Sahin as well. I won't solicit Kuba's attention for long, Lukasz, I'm sure that you have other plans for tonight.”

“Oh no, please don't feel rushed, Nuri. Kuba brought me here to show me where he's spending his free time, and I'm happy to be here.”

“Thank you, Lukasz.” Nuri sat down at Kuba's other side with a sigh, and the blond barkeeper looked at him. “They have improved, Nuri, we really have a chance to beat Konz if we play like that on Saturday,” he said, and Nuri slowly nodded his head. “Yes, the boys are great. But Hannes' father talked to me today. Hannes has problems in school, mostly with math, English and history, and his father is considering taking him out of the club because of that. He's grateful for everything you've done for him, but school is important, and Hannes needs to focus on his studies.  
Mainz has offered them a deal. Hannes could attend their school if he transferred to them, but it would mean that Hannes would be away from home and not even come home every weekend, and I don't think that a boarding school is the right choice for him. He's not making friends easily, and I'm just glad that he has finally found good friends in Max and Oscar. They were crying – all the three of them – when Hannes told me about the plans of his father. You know that they can't afford professional tutoring, and Mainz lured them with money and the prospect of a big career. Hannes is good and he does have the chance of a professional career if everything works out, but he's too young to think of that now.”

Kuba pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Yes, I agree with you. Hmm, the money for professional tutoring wouldn't be a problem, but Hannes needs the right teacher for that, and finding someone who could teach him math, English and history all together will be a problem. I don't think that he'd be happy having to adjust to three different teachers.”

“That's not a problem at all, I'd like to volunteer for that tutoring, and I wouldn't take money for that, at all,” Lukasz heard himself saying much to his own surprise. Both men turned their heads to stare at him, and Lukasz felt a deep blush creeping into his cheeks. “Archaeology has a lot to do with math and history, so I think that I'll be able to help him here. Not to mention that English is normally the language spoken on each and every excavation because of the different nations the archaeologists working there come from. My English should be good enough for helping a schoolboy with his homework. At least I hope that it'll be.”

“You would really do that, Lukasz? Just like that? But you have a straining job and hardly time for yourself, I cannot ask you to do that for a boy you don't even know, Piszczu,” Kuba objected, but his voice was hoarse and his expression told Lukasz how much his offer meant to the other man.

“You weren't asking, I was offering, Kuba,” Lukasz said. “I'm sure that I'll have time for helping a young boy getting better in school without having to give up his dream or his home and his friends.” Even Nuri looked as if he wanted to hug Lukasz gratefully, but he didn't, only thanked him with new hope sparkling in his eyes. “Would you call Hannes' father tomorrow and talk to him? Your word counts more than mine, and he only wants the best for his son. It's not easy for him as a single father raising a son like Hannes, but he's really doing his best.”

Kuba nodded. “I'll call Mr. Götze tomorrow, Nuri. Now please stop worrying, I hope that we'll find a solution for Hannes' problems. Just focus on training and our match next weekend, and I'll see to the rest.”

“Thank you, Kuba.” Nuri shook Kuba's hand before offering it to Lukasz again. “And thank you too, Lukasz. Hannes is a wonderful boy, but life hasn't been friendly to him and his father, and your help would be most welcome and invaluable.”

“You're welcome, Nuri. I'd be happy to help you.” Lukasz watched the young trainer walking over to the club house, and he felt a shiver running down on his spine when he found Kuba's gaze directed at him, his blue eyes dark with a passion that had nothing to do with football.

“Thank you, Piszczu. I knew that you're special the minute you came into _'The Old Tavern'_.”

Lukasz chuckled weakly. “You hid that very well, Kuba. You were growling and snapping at me.”

“Only because I'd had a couple of rough days when we met for the first time, and I'm really sorry for how I treated you at the beginning. I'd like to make up for it. Have you already eaten? I know a restaurant where they serve huge and truly delicious pizza.”

Lukasz' stomach rumbled in response, and the blond archaeologist shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish smile. “Pizza would be great, I didn't have time for dinner when I came home.”

“Wonderful. Let's go then and feed the bear hiding itself in your stomach. Not that it decides that it wants to eat me,” Kuba joked, and Lukasz followed him back to the car with butterflies clapping their wings in his stomach excitedly. _'There is no bear hidden inside me, but I'm sure that you would taste deliciously, Jakub Blaszczykowski, especially your kisses,'_ he thought, hoping that one day he would be allowed to find out whether or not Kuba's lips tasted as wonderfully as he thought that they would do.


End file.
